A MAN tried to coax a seven-year-old Merseyside girl into his car, the child has told detectives.

Katie Sue Jones, from Ellesmere Port, said the man pulled up and offered her #1 to play with him.

Katie Sue, who attends Parklands primary in Little Sutton, was playing near her house in Acre Road, Little Sutton. She refused to get into the car and ran home.

Neighbour Shane Bedford saw the incident and chased the car on his bicycle but was unable to catch it.

Katie's mother Catherine, 32, said: "The kids were playing out in the street all day and then Katie ran in and told me what happened. I was terrified."

Mrs Jones, who has three other children, added: "Katie has always been told by me to say no to strangers. She was very good and did the right thing."

Mr Bedford, 34, said: "I was on the driveway fixing my bike and I saw the little girl playing on the corner.

"A car pulled up and he shouted her over.

"I didn't recognise the car and I thought somebody asking for directions was not going to ask a seven-year-old.

"So I walked over and as I did Katie ran off and the car drove away. I could see which direction he was going so I jumped on the bike shot up another road to try to cut him off but he was just too quick.

"It was just an instinct to try to find out who he was. I've got two young daughters and, with what has happened to Holly and Jessica, every parent is on alert."

The incident happened at 7.30pm on Thursday (August 15).

Detectives say the man was driving what was believed to be a H-registered silver and grey Fiat Panda.

He is white, in his late 20s and with a shaved head and moustache. He was wearing a dark grey Adidas T-shirt.

A Cheshire police spokeswoman said: "The girl behaved impeccably considering she is just seven years old.

"She was under the impression the man was trying to entice her into the car and quite rightly she ran away.

"One of the neighbours saw the girl step away from the car and he gave chase. We have yet to take a full statement from him.

"At this stage in the inquiry we are not calling it an attempted abduction, but it does look suspicious and that is why we are asking for witnesses and the driver himself to come forward so that we can clarify the situation."